Execute the comprehensive APEX methodology for professional-grade development.
Complete documentation: ~/.codex/docs/core/apex.md
Phase 1: ANALYZE (Deep Exploration)
Use explore-codebase to understand relevant parts of the system
Goals:
- Identify where changes need to be made
- Understand existing patterns and conventions
- Map dependencies and impacts
- Locate relevant tests
Deliverable: Exploration summary with affected components
Phase 2: PLAN (Strategic Design)
Use research-expert to validate approach against best practices
Goals:
- Design solution following project patterns
- Identify edge cases and error handling
- Plan test strategy
- Estimate impact and complexity
Deliverable: Implementation plan with step-by-step approach
Plan Format:
### Implementation Steps
1. [Component A]: [Required changes]
2. [Component B]: [Required changes]
3. [Tests]: [Test cases to add]
### Edge Cases
- [Case 1]: [Handling approach]
- [Case 2]: [Handling approach]
### Testing Strategy
- Unit tests: [What to test]
- Integration tests: [Scenarios]
- Manual testing: [Steps]
Phase 3: EXECUTE (Precise Implementation)
Implement the solution:
- Follow the plan step-by-step
- Maintain existing code style and patterns
- Add inline documentation for complex logic
- Create/update tests alongside code
Quality Standards:
- SOLID principles without exception
- DRY, KISS, YAGNI
- Max 100 lines per file
- Separate types/interfaces
- Security validation (OWASP Top 10)
Phase 3.5: eLICIT (Self-Review) - NEW
Expert agent self-reviews and self-corrects before sniper validation
Modes:
--auto: Auto-select techniques based on code type (default)--manual: Present 5 techniques, user chooses--skip-elicit: Skip directly to eXamine
Workflow:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ELICIT (6 steps) │
│ │
│ Init → Analyze → Select → Apply → Correct → Report │
│ │
│ Expert applies elicitation techniques from 12 cats: │
│ - Security (7) - Performance (6) │
│ - Architecture (6) - Testing (6) │
│ - Documentation (6) - UX/a11y (6) │
│ - Data (6) - Concurrency (6) │
│ - Integration (7) - Observability (6) │
│ - Code Quality (7) - Maintainability (6) │
│ │
│ Total: 75 techniques │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Auto-Detection Matrix:
| Code Type | Auto-Selected Techniques |
|---|---|
| Auth/Security | SEC-01, SEC-02, SEC-03 |
| API Endpoints | INT-01, DOC-01, TEST-01 |
| Database | PERF-01, DATA-02, CONC-06 |
| UI Components | UX-01, TEST-01, ARCH-04 |
| Business Logic | ARCH-01, TEST-01, CQ-01 |
Benefits:
- Expert catches own mistakes before sniper
- Faster validation (less sniper corrections)
- Knowledge retention (expert learns from self-review)
Full skill: skills/elicitation/SKILL.md
Phase 4: eXAMINE (Rigorous Validation)
Comprehensive validation:
1. Run Linters (ZERO TOLERANCE):
bun run lint
eslint .
prettier --check .
tsc --noEmit
2. Run Tests:
bun test
bun test:integration
pytest
3. Build Verification:
bun run build
npm run build
4. Security Audit:
npm audit fix
snyk test
5. Research Validation:
Use research-expert to confirm:
- Solutions are up-to-date
- No deprecated APIs used
- Best practices followed
6. Manual Testing:
- Execute test plan scenarios
- Verify edge cases
- Check error handling
7. Final Verification:
Use sniper to ensure 0 linter errors
Deliverable: Tested, validated code ready for deployment
APEX Guarantees
✅ Zero Hallucination: Complete exploration + research ✅ Zero Linter Errors: Sniper with zero tolerance ✅ Zero Bugs: Exhaustive tests + rigorous validation ✅ Maintainable Code: SOLID + established patterns ✅ Self-Corrected: Expert auto-review before validation (NEW)
Usage
Arguments:
- $ARGUMENTS specifies the feature/task to implement
Examples:
/apex Add user profile editing→ Full APEX for feature/apex Fix authentication bug→ APEX for bug fix/apex Refactor payment module→ APEX for refactoring
Metrics
- Production Bugs: -90%
- Debug Time: -70%
- Development Speed: +300% (parallel agents)
- Code Maintainability: +200%
- Code Confidence: 98%
See full documentation: ~/.codex/docs/core/apex.md